THE CONSTITUTION OF DEBATES AND RECITATIONS AT …

THE CONSTITUTION OF DRUMS

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THE CONSTITUTION OF DEBATES AND

RECITATIONS AT LAHORE UNIVERSITY OF

MANAGEMENT SCIENCES

[As modified up to the 15th of July, 2020]


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Table of Contents

PREAMBLE ............................................................................................................................................... 4

Article I: Name and Purpose .................................................................................................................... 5

Article II: Structure .................................................................................................................................. 6

Article III: Patron ..................................................................................................................................... 6

Article IV: Executive Council .................................................................................................................... 6

A. The Composition of the Executive Council .................................................................................... 6

B. Selection Criteria of the Executive Council ................................................................................... 7

C. The Selection Panel ...................................................................................................................... 7

D. Interviews .................................................................................................................................... 7

E. Vacancies ..................................................................................................................................... 8

F. Powers and Responsibilities ......................................................................................................... 9

G. The President ............................................................................................................................. 10

H. The Vice President ..................................................................................................................... 11

I. The Treasurer ............................................................................................................................ 11

J. General Secretary ...................................................................................................................... 12

Article V: The Extended Council ............................................................................................................. 13

Structure and Eligibility Criteria: ........................................................................................................ 13

Society Officers:................................................................................................................................. 14

Departments and Mandates: ............................................................................................................. 15

Article VI: General Body ......................................................................................................................... 19

Article VII: Recruitment ......................................................................................................................... 19

Article VIII: International Participation ................................................................................................... 20

A. Trials .......................................................................................................................................... 20

B. Affirmative Action ...................................................................................................................... 21

C. Subsidies and Participation ........................................................................................................ 21

Article IX - Equity Policy ......................................................................................................................... 22

A. Purpose ..................................................................................................................................... 22

B. Principles ...................................................................................................................................... 22


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C. Scope ............................................................................................................................................ 22

D. Prohibited Conduct ....................................................................................................................... 23

F. Complaint Procedure .................................................................................................................... 26

Article X: Complaint Mechanism ............................................................................................................ 27

Article XI: Termination and Impeachment.............................................................................................. 28

A. Termination of the members of the General Body, Extended Council and Society Officers ......... 28

B. Impeachment of the members of the Executive Council ............................................................. 28

Article XII: Amendments ........................................................................................................................ 29


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PREAMBLE

Whereas the Debates and Recitations at Lahore University of Management Sciences (hereafter

“DRUMS”) Society shall serve as the sole debating society in the Lahore University of

Management Sciences (hereafter “LUMS”);

Whereas the mandate of “Debates” includes all formats and styles of Parliamentary Debates;

The mandate of “Recitations” includes all other forms of public speaking;

Whereas DRUMS operates under the ambit of the LUMS Co-Curricular Activities Office

(hereafter “CCA”), in conjunction with the Office of Student Affairs (hereafter

“OSA”) and under the guidance of the LUMS Student Handbook;

Whereas DRUMS is supervised and led by a Patron exclusive to DRUMS;

Whereas this Constitution is upheld by the Executive Council;

Whereas DRUMS will operate in a manner respectful of the traditions and honor of

LUMS and in a way to positively represent, uphold and further the name and associated

prestige of LUMS;

Whereas DRUMS will be a meritocratic society and will not discriminate against anyone

on the basis of caste, color, creed, race, ethnicity, sect, religion, gender, nationality, financial

situation, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status or political affiliation;

Whereas DRUMS will operate as a non-profit society;

We, the members of DRUMS;

Conscious of our role and responsibility in, and our duties towards, the Society;

Cognizant of the mission statement, code of conduct and rules and regulations of

LUMS and DRUMS;


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Seek to unite students interested in the field of debates and recitations in good

fellowship;

Seek to advance the standard of debates and recitations within LUMS;

Seek to ensure freedom of information and the protection of student rights within LUMS;

Seek to create opportunities for students interested in the fields of debates and recitations;

Dedicated to a spirit of social responsibility;

Do hereby agree to abide by and uphold this Constitution.

Article I: Name and Purpose

1. The name of the Society shall be ‘Debates and Recitations at LUMS’; hereafter referred

to as ‘DRUMS’.

2. This Society is a non-governmental, not-for-profit, student run organization which seeks to:

a. Encourage individuals to come forth and provide them with a base of operations

to improve their debating and recitation skills;

b. Promote the learning of debates and recitations through professional lectures,

camps, workshops, and tournaments;

c. Encourage amateur public speakers to bring forth their talent, subsequently

providing exposure to them through various debating events, competitions and

trips;

d. Provide individuals the exposure of planning, managing and arranging both small

and large scale events to introduce and enhance skills relevant to event

management, exhibition set-up, corporate sponsorships and leadership;

e. Advance the standard of debates and recitations within the LUMS community;

f. Create discourse on matters of social and public importance within the LUMS

community;

g. Create teams for events relevant to the fields of debating and recitations at both

local and international levels.


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Article II: Structure

1. DRUMS shall operate under the following structure, in hierarchical order:

a. The Patron;

b. The Executive Council;

c. The Extended Council and Society Officers;

d. The General Body.

2. DRUMS shall operate as an extra-curricular society at LUMS, under the guidance of the

CCA, OSA and other related LUMS administrative offices, in conjunction with the

LUMS Student Handbook.

Article III: Patron

1. DRUMS shall operate under the guidance of a Patron such that they:

a. Are a member of the LUMS Faculty;

b. Shall solely be the Patron of DRUMS and no other society;

c. May direct the activities of DRUMS as they deem fit;

d. Shall reserve the final say on any matter, including arbitrating on any matter of

conflict that may arise amongst the Executive Council, vetoing any decision made

by the Executive Council or hearing any appeal made against any decision of the

Executive Council;

e. May remove any member from any position if they deem it necessary.

Article IV: Executive Council

A. The Composition of the Executive Council

1. The Executive Council of DRUMS shall comprise of the following positions:

a. The President;

b. The Vice-President;

c. The Treasurer;

d. The General Secretary.


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B. Selection Criteria of the Executive Council

1. Notwithstanding anything contained in this constitution, members of the Executive

Council must fulfill and meet the CCA and OSA’s criteria for office bearers of any such

society, this includes academic qualifications, restrictions based on disciplinary records

and other such criteria as communicated by the CCA and the OSA.

2. The positions of Executive Council are open only to members of DRUMS.

3. Only Second year, Third year and Fourth year students, who will achieve the status of

Third year, Fourth year and Fifth year students, respectively, at the start of the following

Fall Semester, may apply for the Executive Council unless there is unanimous agreement

by the outgoing Executive Council regarding the need to disregard this rule.

4. The final selection of the new Executive Council is to made by the Outing-Going

Executive Council such that all efforts are made to come to a unanimous agreement, in

the event a unanimous agreement is not reached despite all efforts the following

hierarchy of methods is to be used to come to a decision:

a. The President and Vice President should come to an agreement;

b. A simple majority of the panel should come to an agreement;

c. The President may decide on their own accord.

C. The Selection Panel

1. The Executive Council shall be appointed by a panel comprising of the out-going

Executive Council, where it is recommended that the panel invite at least one member of

a previous Executive Council to become a part of the selection process as an advisory

member.

2. In the event any member already part of the outgoing Executive Council reapplies for the

new Executive Council they shall not be a part of the selection panel to avoid any conflict

of interest.

3. The Patron shall be informed of the interviews by the out-going President and the Patron

may choose to be present during the interviews upon their prerogative.

D. Interviews


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1. Interviews for the selection of the Executive Council shall be held at least thirty days

prior to the end of the academic year.

2. Interviews will be conducted on the basis of applications sent out to those eligible for the

post.

3. There will be no short-listing amongst the applications received.

E. Vacancies

1. In the event that any member of the Executive Council resigns, is removed from their

position, or in case of permanent vacancy for whatever reason the following procedure

shall be followed:

a. If the position of the President is vacant the Vice President takes over as

President, the General Secretary takes over as Vice President and a new General

Secretary is selected;

b. If the position of Vice President is vacant the General Secretary takes over as

Vice President and a new General Secretary is selected;

c. If the position of Treasurer or General Secretary is vacant a new Treasurer or

General Secretary, depending on the vacant position, is selected.

2. To fill the vacancies the Executive Council of the time will, through the interview process

outlined in Article IV, Part D, titled “Interviews”, select a suitable candidate fulfilling the

criteria and following the method outlined in Article IV, Part B, titled “Selection Criteria of

the Executive Council”.

3. It is heavily recommended that the Executive Council invite and include at least one

member of the preceding Executive Council in the selection process.

4. It is the responsibility of the Executive Council to fill any vacant position as soon as

logistically feasible.

5. In the event an Executive Council position is temporarily vacant or an Executive Council

member is unavailable for whatever reason the following shall be done:

a. In the event the President is temporarily unavailable or their position is

temporarily vacant the Vice President may hold both the office of Vice President

and President for that time period.


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b. In the event the Vice President is temporarily unavailable or their position is

temporarily vacant the General Secretary may hold both the office of Vice

President and General Secretary for that time period.

c. In the event the General Secretary or Treasurer is temporarily unavailable or their

position is temporarily vacant the President may hold both the office of President

and General Secretary/Treasurer for that time period.

F. Powers and Responsibilities

1. The Executive Council is the sole student authority enabled to make decisions for and on

behalf of the society as their representatives, provided they are made in good faith.

2. Notwithstanding anything contained in the previous Articles, the Executive Council shall

reserve the final say in all matters of the society, except where stated otherwise in the

constitution.

3. The Executive Council shall, collectively and individually, ensure the upholding of this

constitution.

4. On matters where the constitution is silent, the Executive Council shall respond to any

given issue based on precedent; in case no precedent is available, the Executive Council

shall make decisions judging the situation to the best of their ability.

5. All members of the Executive Council shall conduct themselves as role models for the

society members, and shall present themselves in a manner representative of the values of

DRUMS, including, but not limited to, the qualities of honesty, integrity, justice,

discipline, professionalism and approachability.

6. The Executive Council shall through a selection process such as that of conducting

interviews appoint the Extended Council, Society Officers and the General Body.

7. The Executive Council shall organize at least one Urdu and one English Parliamentary

Debate tournament along with at least one intra-varsity tournament.

8. The Executive Council shall promote the holding of and overlook the effective execution

of all events relevant to debates and recitations.


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9. The Executive Council shall conduct a free, fair and an accessible selection process for

the creation of international teams to represent the university and DRUMS.

10. The Executive Council shall decide when to schedule interviews, selection process, trials,

and events for any matter relating to DRUMS.

11. The Executive Council shall, where needed, make temporary but necessary appointments

for the efficient running of the society or the successful execution of an event.

12. The Executive Council shall appoint a new Executive Council to succeed them in a

timely manner through the process outlined in Article IV, Part B, titled “selection criteria

of the new Executive Council”.

G. The President

1. The President, after the patron, shall act as the foremost representative and leader of

DRUMS and be the direct superior of every post in the society including those of other

Executive Council members.

2. The President must have at least two years of experience within the society and must

have held administrative positions greater than that of an Assistant Director.

3. The President may not reapply for the Executive Council position once the applications

open.

4. The President, in addition to any other duties and obligations mentioned in the

constitution shall:

a. Provide an overall vision for DRUMS;

b. Provide, in consultation with the Executive Council, an executable plan for this

vision;

c. Preside over the Executive Council sessions, with at least one review meeting per

month;

d. Liaison with the Patron and keep them apprised of developments in the Society;

e. Supervise and aid the overall functioning of DRUMS, including, but not limited

to:

i. LUMS Inter-Varsity;

ii. LUMS Olympiad;

iii. The Host Team;


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iv. Finances of the society;

v. Any special project that is initiated;

vi. DRUMS International Participation;

vii. Induction of new Members;

viii. LUMS Intra-Varsity;

ix. Quarterly Debates;

f. Reserve the right to be updated, upon their request, regarding any society activity

by the relevant office bearer;

g. Serve as the central repository for all DRUMS Documents;

h. Reserve the right to call a meeting of the Executive Council as and when they

may deem fit;

i. Initiate all projects and pass all budgets in mutual agreement with the Treasurer;

j. Represent DRUMS on all local and international debate councils and bodies;

k. Finalize all international or local guests for any event organized by DRUMS;

l. Act as the convener for any and all events hosted by DRUMS however, they may

appoint another individual to fulfil this responsibility where required.

H. The Vice President

1. The Vice President must have at least two years of experience within the society and

must have held administrative positions greater than that of an Assistant Director.

2. The Vice-President, in addition to any other duties and obligations mentioned in the

constitution shall:

a. Assist the President in all matters relating to the society;

b. Ensure, with the President, that all LUMS policies are followed through in all

DRUMS events;

c. Establish liaisons with the administrative and marketing divisions of LUMS;

d. Act as President in case the President is unable to attend to any issue at hand.

e. Initiate all projects and pass all budgets in mutual agreement with the President,

General Secretary, and the Treasurer;

f. Be responsible for the effective performance of all tasks under Society Officers.

3. The Vice President shall be responsible for the effective performance of all tasks under the

Projects Department and shall be answerable to the Executive Council regarding its performance

and activities.

I. The Treasurer


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1. The Treasurer must have at least one year of experience within the society and must have

held administrative positions equivalent or greater than that of an Assistant Director.

2. The Treasurer, in addition to any other duties and obligations mentioned in the

constitution shall:

a. Create the annual DRUMS budget, on the advice of the Executive Council, to be

approved by the President, including the budget for:

i. LUMS Inter-Varsity;

ii. LUMS Olympiad;

iii. Subsidies for International Tournaments;

iv. Any other event/activity initiated throughout the Academic year;

v. International judges;

b. Be responsible for handling the finances of the society;

c. Keep accounts of all receipts, incomes, and expenditures;

d. Be responsible for generating a budget once an event is proposed;

e. Be responsible for getting budget approvals from the Patron and the Accounts

Office;

f. Coordinate with the Accounts Office and Co-Curricular Office for petty cash;

g. Be responsible for maintaining transparency and keep a track of the flow of

money;

h. Ensure that all members have paid their dues;

i. Generate a profit-loss statement for every event;

j. Secure sponsorships for events organized by DRUMS or teams representing

DRUMS.

3. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the effective performance of all tasks under the

Logistics Department and the Marketing and Finance Department and shall be

answerable to the Executive Council regarding their performance and activities.

J. General Secretary

1. The General Secretary must have at least one year of experience within the society and

must have held administrative positions equivalent or greater than that of an Assistant

Director.

2. The General Secretary, in addition to any other duties and obligations mentioned in the

constitution shall be obliged to:


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a. Keep all records of meetings held both within the society and those with

administration;

b. Maintain a membership directory of Executive, Extended Councils, and the

General Body for current year;

c. Disseminate information/decisions made by the Executive Council to all the

members of the Society;

d. Shall maintain a checklist of operations, to be gone over by every office-bearer

prior to any event;

e. Uphold the constitution and ensure that all members of the Executive Council

abide by it;

f. Create new affiliations and strengthen or maintain relationships with existing ones;

g. Create and maintain an Alumni Database;

h. Create and maintain a Society Database;

i. Gather feedback through a Feedback Form at the end of the academic year;

j. Assume the duties of the Vice-President when required to do so.

3. The General Secretary shall be responsible for the effective performance of all tasks

under the Human Resource, Media and Promotions, and Registration and Public

Relations Departments, and shall be answerable to the Executive Council regarding their

performance and activities.

Article V: The Extended Council

Structure and Eligibility Criteria:

1. The Extended Council will be structured along the following hierarchy:

a. Directors and Society Officers;

b. Assistant Directors.

2. They must be serving members of DRUMS.

3. Directors must have a minimum of one year of experience within the society however,

the Executive Council may make exceptions in case of low applications and/or technical

skills.

4. Officers of specific roles may adhere to a varied eligibility criterion if mentioned, they

would otherwise adhere to the criteria of directors.


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Society Officers:

1. The Debate Officer, in addition to any other duties and obligations mentioned in the

constitution shall be obliged to:

a. Plan, organize and lead the debate camps throughout the year, they may delegate

the management of a different format or language camp to someone who may be

more suited to fulfill that part;

b. Devise a fair and workable mechanism to select debate teams competing at local

or national debate tournaments in consultation with the Vice-President;

c. Be responsible for making sure that all teams that participate in events fulfill the

eligibility criteria set by the Co-Curricular Activities Office (CCA) and the Office

of Student Affairs i.e. GPA requirements are fulfilled, and disciplinary record is

clear;

d. Ensure that all teams that participate in any tournament are approved by the CCA

office;

e. Arrange, in collaboration with all relevant departments and the Executive

Council, the trials for international tournaments:

i. This may include but is not limited to creating a proposal for the trials,

reaching out to potential applicants;

ii. They must adhere to the specific requirements for such international trials

set by Article VIII of the constitution;

f. Select, in consultation with the President and the Vice President, a panel of

adjudicators for the purposes of trials for international tournaments;

g. Organize, the LUMS Intra-Varsity at the start of the fall semester such that it is

inclusive for newer participants;

h. Recommend and assist the Convenor/President in the creation of the adjudication

core for The LUMS Inter-Varsity or any other debate tournament being hosted by

DRUMS;

i. To be judged by the following eligibility and selection criteria when appointed by

the Executive Council:

i. Debate merit, skill, and knowledge;

ii. Overall contribution to DRUMS, particularly their assistance with the

organization of debate activities within the society.

2. The Equity Officer shall be responsible for:


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a. Adhering to all to directives and rules concerning equity set by the Co-Curricular

Activities (CCA) office, the Office of Accessibility & Inclusion, the Office of

Student Affairs (OSA) and any committee or office set up by the university;

b. The formation of the equity policy, in line with the policies present within this

document, for all DRUMS debate events, as well as internal operations of the

society including but not limited to trials and debate camps;

c. Selecting and training an equity team for each specific DRUMS tournament that

will enact and enforce the official equity policy;

d. Establishing a formal complaint system, both anonymous and otherwise;

e. Conduct an equity briefing for the society at the start of the academic year and/or

whenever required to communicate equitable conduct;

f. In consultation with the Executive Council, drafting a code of conduct within

which the equity team and officer should operate for any given DRUMS event.

3. The Recitations Officer shall:

a. Draw up a timeline for all the events being organized for the upcoming year;

b. Take initiatives to strengthen activities relevant to recitations such as spoken

word, declamations, stand up etcetera;

c. Hold sessions to teach members reciting their work in public, be it spoken word,

elocution, declamation, stand-up and/or otherwise, if need arises the officer may

delegate specialized roles to manage specific sessions e.g. spoken word and

declamations;

d. Organize Open Mics and relevant events, e.g. the ‘All-Pakistan Bilingual

Declamation Competition’;

e. Obtain, in a timely manner, in collaboration with the Logistics Department,

approval from the administration for official DRUMS representation at various

declamation and other recitation competitions;

f. In consultation with the Executive Council, ensure the selection process for teams

representing DRUMS is fair and transparent;

g. Be judged by the following eligibility and selection criteria when appointed by the

Executive Council:

i. Recitation and related activity skill, merit, and experience;

ii. Contribution to the society in related activities.

Departments and Mandates:

1. The Projects Department shall:

a. Draw up a timeline for the annual calendar with regards to all events that fall under

the Projects Department’s purview;


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b. Organize:

i. Panel Talks (Quarterly Debates) by faculty members and/or external speakers

on a host of important social, political, culturally relevant issues;

ii. Student-Faculty Debates;

iii. Any other engagement activity that does not fall within the domain of another

department;

c. Gain approval for relevant events in a timely manner by collaborating with the

logistics department or otherwise;

d. Come up with new and innovative ideas for events geared at creating awareness and

generating discourse on various issues.

2. The Human Resource Department shall:

a. Come up with and implement creative ideas for activities aimed at keeping the

Directors, Assistant Directors and Team Members motivated, ice breaking to help

the Extended Council members get to know each other;

b. Understand the job descriptions of other departments in order to assist them.

c. Create and maintain a database of all society members (including current

General Body and Alumni);

d. Arrange meetings and keep a record of the attendance of all members present;

e. Plan and implement ideas to encourage and ensure attendance at society meetings,

camp sessions and events;

f. Organize task-forces or otherwise to cater to the needs of any event being hosted

by the society and to also assist participants;

g. Ensure all departments are meeting regularly and adhering to timelines;

h. Actively maintain contact with General Body and relay important information to

society members via texts and/or emails;

i. Keep track of work being accomplished by members of the society, ensure that due

appreciation is given to such members and other members are also made aware of

it;

j. Encourage a sense of community within the society;

k. Collect feedback from members after each event so that relevant concerns can be

known and resolved;

l. Set-up means to receive and process complaints from members of the society on

matters that do not concern equity.

3. The Logistics Department shall:


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a. Focus on planning and implementing the logistical requirements of all DRUMS

events;

b. Direct and provide day to day leadership, management, and guidance regarding all

logistical activities within DRUMS;

c. Manage the procurement, tracking and reception of materials required by all

DRUMS departments at all events;

d. Keep track of leftover inventory, i.e. its quantity and its place of storage;

e. Make sure all procurement indents are first approved by the Treasurer, maintain

copies of all procurement indents submitted to the LUMS Procurement

Department;

f. Aid in developing and managing the DRUMS yearly budget and all related

forecasting and planning activities, in consultation with the Treasurer;

g. Anticipate and resolve any unspecified and unforeseen scenarios, problems or work

increases that may arise during the any DRUMS events, by creating a contingency

plan with the Treasurer;

h. Ensure the existence, maintenance, and functioning of an adequate system of

internal controls in order to limit the yearly DRUMS spending, so as to avoid

wastage of resources;

i. Coordinate with the Treasurer for all administrative issues;

j. Assist all relevant departments in setting up the DRUMS stall for Orientation Week

or otherwise;

k. Given appropriate information, be responsible for the timely reservation of

auditoriums and approval of events;

l. Where applicable, make arrangements for accommodations for outstation

participants;

m. Maintain a cordial and workable relationship with the CCA office.

4. The Marketing and Finance Department shall:

a. Function in direct coordination and collaboration with the Treasurer;

b. Design and implement a comprehensive annual marketing plan for DRUMS;

c. Establish a marketing budget, in consultation with the relevant Executive Council

members and deliver all marketing activity within the agreed budget;

d. Create and maintain a marketing database that shall include client and prospect

information, both recent and accumulated from previous years;

e. Maintain and develop current and potential strategic partner relationships within the

Corporate Sector and otherwise, in order to secure support for various DRUMS

projects;


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f. Assure that all corporate sponsors are responsibly stewarded for their support and

that strong relationships are maintained;

g. Liaison and network with a range of stakeholders including schools, DRUMS

members and Alumni, institutions and donor and partner organizations in order to

source and secure sponsorship for DRUMS events;

h. Coordinate with the LUMS Marketing Department and the Marketing Department of

the particular company or agency in the eventual stage of finalizing the terms of the

Memorandum of Understanding;

i. Communicate material to the LUMS Marketing Department to publicize on the

LUMS website;

j. Create event specific and yearly budgets and income statements, and also budget

forecasts for outstation participation.

5. The Media and Promotions Department shall:

a. Find innovative ways of publicizing DRUMS, particularly through social media;

b. Inform local and foreign media, electronic, print, radio, television or otherwise,

about the DRUMS society events and prepare formal invitations for any guest;

c. Approach media groups and secure non-exclusive media partnerships and

sponsorships, electronic, print, radio, television or otherwise, and try and engage

them for a year-round partnership if possible, along with coordinating external

media coverage during any DRUMS event;

d. Develop promotional online advertisements and videos to be placed on the

DRUMS website and social media;

e. Develop, promote, and maintain the official DRUMS social media platforms,

including the Facebook page, Twitter handle and Instagram page in consultation

with the DRUMS Executive Council;

f. Ensure media coverage of all DRUMS events;

g. Manage and create social media channels:

h. Make sure they are regularly updated;

i. All queries are promptly answered;

j. Put up posters in most Lahore schools and colleges, try to send posters to other

cities and make promotional videos and presentations;

k. Plan and implement an Interest Activation Strategy (including but not limited to

use of teaser videos, posters, promotional ads) leading up to any DRUMS event;

l. Have an on-event plan which shall enable the Department to:

i. Create a DRUMS media presence;

ii. Ensure regular and extensive coverage of all events.


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6. The Registrations and Public Relations department shall:

a. Have sound knowledge of institutions participating regularly in the event and

work alongside Director Debates, Declamations and Projects to ensure the usual

institutions are participating;

b. Present a strong plan on how to attract new institutions to the event and plan on

approaching institutions all over Pakistan including but not limited to;

c. Have sound knowledge of the procedural work of making and designing a

registration portal;

d. Must make a registration portal for LUMS Inter-Varsity or any other DRUMS

debate competitions, and recommend the registrations fee to the Executive

Council;

e. Manage all the registrations for LUMS Inter-Varsity or any other DRUMS debate

competitions, including updating the data base, contacting teams for various

updates, sending out invitations to institutions and communicating registration

deadlines;

f. Set up and manage the registration desk at LUMS IV or any other DRUMS debate

competitions;

g. Create informational content to make the registration process easier;

h. Create and communicate appropriate registrations data to assist the logistics

department to facilitate campus entry and the tabulation team to create accurate

tabs;

i. Create affiliations with other debate societies;

j. Create reports to communicate all registration data to the Executive Council.

Article VI: General Body

1. The General Body will comprise of all members of the society, including The

Executive Council, The Extended Council, Society Officers and Team Members.

2. The general body members must be students at LUMS.

3. The general body members will be inducted by the Extended Council and overseen by

the Executive Council.

Article VII: Recruitment


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1. Members of DRUMS shall be inducted at the beginning of the academic year in the

Fall Semester.

2. Members shall be inducted through application forms, walk-in interviews, or

performance in society events, this decision will be made by the Executive Council

chosen for that year.

3. The Executive Council may determine the number of people needed to fulfill the

society functions for the upcoming year.

4. Once inducted, a member shall remain part of DRUMS, though depending on their

performance, may have to renew/reconfirm their membership, at the Executive

Council’s discretion.

5. All members are expected to uphold and exhibit the highest standards of integrity,

honesty, discipline and professionalism in their dealings amongst themselves,

regardless of their position within the society, and with students, societies, bodies or

organizations outside of DRUMS, both within and outside of LUMS.

6. All members:

a. Reserve the right to be informed of:

i. The DRUMS Constitution and any amendments thereof, if made;

ii. DRUMS society events, once they have been approved and finalized

by The Executive Council and the CCA;

b. Are expected to actively participate in all society events.

7. A member may resign from DRUMS through a formal application to this effect,

addressed to and approved by the General Secretary, on advice of the President, who

may file this with the Patron.

Article VIII: International Participation

A. Trials

1. When DRUMS is participating at an international debate tournament or any other

international event where team slots and/or space is limited, selection must:

a. Take place through open, transparent, competitive, and fair trials;


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b. A selection panel must be appointed based on their debating and adjudicating

(or relevant equivalent in the field) skill to judge the trials; the selectors must

not be competing for a spot on the DRUMS team in the final stage of selection.

2. In case, competitive trials cannot take place due to lack of time, permissions or other

such circumstances, selection may:

a. Be based on a qualitative and quantitative application process judged by a

qualified panel as mentioned in 1.a;

b. Be based on performance in a previously held trial process:

i. This option may only be exercised if a trial process is announced to be

one for multiple events prior to its inception;

ii. If it is a trial process within the same academic year of the selection,

trial processes from the past even if matching the criteria of 2.b.i

cannot be used.

B. Affirmative Action

1. In the case where an international tournament/event in which DRUMS is taking part

has an affirmative action policy, the selection process must make room for it.

2. In cases of an international tournament where an affirmative action policy does not

exist, DRUMS recongizes that debating and many such activities are male dominated

and must be made more inclusive and thus mandates 1/3rd of the total speaking

members (or participating in a non-debate equivalent event) must be women/non-cis

males.

C. Subsidies and Participation

1. The Executive Council must devise a policy to reward individuals for their

contributions to the successful and efficient functioning of the society with respect

to international participation while also balancing the competitive success of

DRUMS internationally, which may look like but not limited to:

a. Allocating non-speaking slots in a varied manner;

b. Creating contingents for different international events (such as non-

regional tournaments/events) based on contribution.


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2. In recognizing the need to make international participation more accessible, where

funds are limited, DRUMS must allocate subsidies for international participation

based on financial need as the first and foremost priority.

Article IX - Equity Policy1

A. Purpose

1. Any equity matters must be dealt according to the rules and regulations set by the

Co-Curricular Activities (CCA), the Office of Inclusion and Accessibility and the

LUMS Sexual Harassment Committee, and in no way can encroach on their mandate

and power.

2. The DRUMS Equity Policy aims to create within the society, for all members, an

environment free from discrimination, harassment, bullying and vilification, and

which fosters equity, inclusion and respect for diversity.

3. This policy explains what conduct is prohibited and outlines the procedures for

raising complaints when members feel that their equity has been breached.

B. Principles

1. All members are to be made safe, welcome and respected as far as reasonably

possible.

2. Any complaints of breaches of equity are taken seriously and due process afforded to

all parties during any investigation.

3. Complete confidentiality to be maintained pertaining to all aspects of a complaint.

C. Scope

1. The Equity Policy applies to all members of DRUMS, including but not limited to:

a. The General Body;

1 Partially adapted from the World Universities Debating Championship Cape Town 2019 Equity Policy


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b. The Extended Council and Society Officers;

c. The Executive Council.

2. The policy also applies to all attendees of any training camps and events being

organized by DRUMS, including but not limited to:

a. Speakers;

b. Observers;

c. Adjudicators;

d. Trainers;

e. Camp Managers.

3. Standards of conduct apply in all interactions relevant and pertaining to the society.

4. Specific equity policies may be drafted for competitions hosted by DRUMS, the equity

policy should be made available to all participants and host team members of the

tournament.

5. This policy applies to physical as well as cyber spaces, where relevant.

D. Prohibited Conduct

1. The following behavior by any member of the society is strictly prohibited:

a. Badgering: any persistent disruption towards a speaker during the course of their

speech is considered as badgering, for example, if in a debate, a POI has been

offered to a speaker and rejected by them, another POI should not be offered

within the next fifteen seconds by any debater, persistently breaching this rule, i.e.

continuously offering points of information to a speaker in quick succession, is

known as barracking or badgering, this is not permitted, as it is disruptive to the

debate and unfair to the speaker;

b. Bullying: repeated, unreasonable behavior by an individual or group, directed

towards another individual or group that intimidates, offends, degrades,

humiliates, undermines or threatens, this includes pressuring another person or

group of people to do something that they are uncomfortable with;

c. Direct Discrimination: unreasonably treating an individual or group less favorably

than another individual or group on the basis of a protected attribute in the same

circumstances or circumstances not materially different;

d. Indirect Discrimination: unreasonably imposing, or proposing to impose, a

requirement, condition or practice that has, or is likely to have the effect of

disadvantaging an individual or group with a particular protected attribute, and

which is not reasonable in the circumstances;


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e. Harassment: any unwelcome, offensive, abusive, belittling or threatening

behavior that humiliates, offends or intimidates an individual or group on the

basis of a protected attribute;

f. Sexual harassment: any unwelcome sexual advance, request for sexual favors or

any other unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that humiliates, offends or

intimidates a person and which a reasonable person, having regard to all the

circumstances, would anticipate making the person humiliated, offended or

intimidated;

g. Victimization: causing detriment to a person because that person has made a

complaint or taken part in complaints proceedings under this policy;

h. Vilification: the public incitement of hatred, contempt or severe ridicule of

another individual or group on the basis of a protected attribute.

2. The conduct above relates to protected attributes, which are listed below, where

reference is made above to a protected attribute, this includes imputed or perceived

protected attributes, and association with a person or persons with a protected attribute

such as:

a. Age or age group;

b. Debating ability or institutional affiliation;

c. Disability (including but not limited to past, present and future disabilities, a

genetic predisposition to a disability and behavior that is a manifestation of a

disability);

d. Gender Identity (the gender-related identity, appearance or mannerisms or other

gender related characteristics of a person, including but not limited to how people

express or present their gender and recognizing that a person’s gender identity

may be an identity other than male or female);

e. Infectious disease (for example, HIV status);

f. Language Status or proficiency (for example, speaking with an accent);

g. Marital or relationship status;

h. Political affiliation or beliefs;

i. Race, color, descent, national or ethnic origin, or ethno-religious background;

j. Religious affiliation, belief, views or practice;

k. Sex or Intersex status;

l. Sexual orientation;

m. Sexual practices or experience (for example, previous partner(s) or lack thereof);

n. Socio-economic status and background;

o. Any other attribute where discrimination:

i. Causes or perpetuates systemic disadvantage;

ii. Undermines human dignity;


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iii. Adversely affects the equal enjoyment of a person’s rights and freedoms in a

serious manner that is comparable to discrimination on a protected attribute

listed above.

E. Sexual Interactions and Positive Consent

1. Members are required to seek positive consent when engaging in any conduct of a sexual

or potentially sexual nature, including but not limited to sexual intercourse, physical

intimacy, flirting, making sexual jokes, or suggestive bodily contact (e.g. dancing), a

failure to acquire positive consent will be a breach of this policy and may constitute

sexual harassment.

2. Positive consent requires a person to actively affirm that other parties in any sexual or

romantic interaction are freely and voluntarily agreeing to what is occurring, all parties

should enquire as to what other people are feeling (e.g. “are you ok with this?” “Are we

going too fast?” “Do you like this?”), if you cannot determine the consent of the parties

involved, you should end the sexual or romantic interaction.

3. Consent to a sexual or romantic interaction is not given if:

a. A party has been pressured or harassed into the interaction;

b. A position of influence is used to encourage a party into the interaction;

c. A party is intoxicated and incapable of giving consent at any point during the

interaction; or

d. A party has indicated through word or action any objection to the interaction

whatsoever unless that objection is clearly rescinded and the party gives consent;

e. A party has falsified information, used manipulation or distorted facts to obtain

consent.

4. Consent can be withdrawn at any time, and the consent to one interaction (e.g. flirting)

does not constitute consent to further interactions (e.g. kissing), if consent is withdrawn,

advances by the individual after that point will be considered a serious breach of equity,

examples of withdrawal of consent include: verbal (e.g. “I don’t want to do this”);

implicit in an act (e.g. pushing another party away); or an indirect request through a

friend or equity officer to stop the interaction.

5. Individuals should be aware that one of the following (or other) attributes may put them

in a position of relative power over other individuals:

a. Age;


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b. Debating experience or ability;

c. Position of Authority (e.g. being higher in the hierarchy in a society, or being a

camp manager); or

d. Social Status - A position of relative power offers additional weight to an

individual’s words and conduct, this position must not be leveraged intentionally

or unintentionally to encourage individuals into sexual relations as this

constitutes pressuring an individual into sexual relations, special care to receive

free, enthusiastic consent must be taken if an individual is in a position of

relative power.

F. Complaint Procedure

1. A complaint regarding the breach of this policy may be filed with the Equity Officer

through email or any other suitable means.

2. Complaints may be made informally or formally - the nature of the complaint must be

specified at the time of filing:

a. An informal complaint is one that raises concerns, but does not require formal

responses such as investigation or mediation, an informal complaint may be made

anonymously;

b. A formal complaint is where a formal response is sought, such as investigation or

mediation, formal complaints cannot be made anonymously in the interests of due

process.

3. In addition to complaints, members are also encouraged to contact the Equity Officer to

raise general equity related concerns, even if they do not feel an incident has occurred.

Both anonymous complaints and general concerns enhance the Equity Officers’ overall

understanding of relevant issues occurring within the society, which will further assist in

the prevention of future equity violations.

4. In case of a complaint, the Equity Officer, along with the Executive Council, may take

actions including, but not limited, to the following:

a. Explain the complaint to the offending person and have a discussion with them

about why their remark or action was inappropriate;

b. Issue an informal warning to the offending person;

c. Issue a formal warning to the offending person;

d. Request that the offending person provide an apology;

e. Bring the relevant persons together to conciliate the dispute.


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5. Where the complainant requests, or where otherwise necessary, the Equity Officer or the

Executive Council may do the following:

a. Assist the complainant to approach the relevant department or committee set up

by the university;

b. Where Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) regulations allow, investigate and take

action on the matter themselves;

c. Approach the Patron of the society who may then adjudicate over the matter and

take appropriate action;

d. Temporarily suspend membership of the accused while a complaint is being

settled.

6. In case of an equity complaint against the Equity Officer, the complaint may be filed

directly with the Executive Council.

7. In case of an equity complaint against a member of the Executive Council, the Equity

Officer should approach the Patron or the relevant university departments and

committees.

Article X: Complaint Mechanism

1. DRUMS shall have a formal mechanism for the filing of complaints against any office

bearer in the society, in order to ensure transparency, check and balance and

accountability.

2. Grounds for complaint may include gross misconduct, exploitation of the powers

associated with a particular post, failure to discharge duties reasonably or professionally,

violation of the core values of honesty, integrity, discipline or professionalism,

misrepresentation of the member’s post in the society, or any other such offense.

3. All complaints formally filed shall be investigated in a timely manner, provided the

complaint is not in bad faith and is supported by documented evidence.

4. Any grievance against any member in the society, provided that this member is not a

member of the Executive Council, may be filed, via e-mail or otherwise, with the

Executive Council or as communicated by the Executive Council.


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5. Any grievance against a member of the Executive Council, such that this member is not

the President, may be filed, via e-mail or otherwise, with the President.

6. Any grievance against the President of the Society may be filed, via e-mail or otherwise,

to the Patron of the Society or to the remaining members of the Executive Council.

7. Complaints regarding any equity violation shall be handled separately under Article IX

by the Equity Officer.

Article XI: Termination and Impeachment

A. Termination of the members of the General Body, Extended Council and Society

Officers

1. Director or Society Officer may be terminated by the Executive Council given that the

majority of the Executive Council agrees.

2. An Assistant Director may be terminated by the Executive Council, on the advice of the

relevant Director, given that the majority of the Executive Council agrees.

3. All terminations pertaining to the members of the General Body, Extended Council and

Society Officers will be subject to the President’s approval.

4. All members have the right to approach the Patron or the Co-Curricular Activities

(CCA) to appeal their termination.

B. Impeachment of the members of the Executive Council

1. If any member of the Executive Council is to be impeached, the entire Executive

Council must make a unanimous decision with the exception of the person who is being

impeached, due process needs to be followed in all cases of impeachment:

a. All cases of impeachment must be presented to the Patron with reasoning;

b. The Executive Council member being impeached has a right to present their

defense on the matter.

2. All terminations pertaining to the Executive Council will be subject to the Patron’s

approval.


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Article XII: Amendments

1. No amendment shall be passed to this constitution unless the passing of such amendment

shall greatly improve the relevance and scope of this constitution.

2. The power to amend the constitution shall lie with the Executive Council.

3. A member of the Executive Council may, after consultation with a member of any previous

Executive Council (who is not a part of the current Executive Council), introduce an

amendment to this constitution in a meeting of the Executive Council where all members

shall be present, such that:

a. The General Secretary shall be informed in advance regarding this intention;

b. The proposed amendment shall be circulated amongst all the members present at

the meeting;

c. The General Secretary shall call the Executive Council to vote on the amendment;

d. In case The General Secretary is not present, then the President may do all the tasks

that were to be handled by the General Secretary.

4. Constitutional amendments will only be approved upon a unanimous vote by the Executive

Council.

5. All constitutional amendments must be approved by the Patron before taking effect.

6. Any amendments made to the constitution shall not conflict with the interests of DRUMS

as stated in this constitution, they should be directed towards the betterment of the society

and the LUMS community as a whole.

7. They should comply with the ethics and values of the community and in no way

compromise the reputation of the Society.

This Constitution was drafted by the Executive Council of 2018-2019: Eman Bilal

(President), Faez Noor (Vice-President) and Taha Iqbal (Treasurer)


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This Constitution was amended by the Executive Council of 2020-2021: Zaid Abro

(President), Hira Farooq (Vice-President) and Muhammad Ashar Imran (Treasurer)